


Second Chances

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4433570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And what, are you my voice of reason? My Clarence? My Jacob Marley?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> This is 100% not what you prompted, haha I’m sorry.

“It seems a little silly now, huh?” A voice to his right said. Jason barely looked at it to know who it was. He knew anyway. No one else could ever sound that snobbish and royal. Besides, there were more important things to look at, like his _fucking body_ lying in that hospital bed. Like Bruce and Dick at both of his sides, Tim, Roy and the girls coming and going periodically. Everyone looking tired and defeated; faces permanently tear-stained.  

His response was absent. “What does?” 

“Everything.” Damian shrugged, dropping his chin into his hand. The two of them were outside the window, lying on what seemed like a cloud. “All those fights and arguments. Turns out none of that stuff translates in death.”

“Am I dead?”  

“No.” Damian said simply. “Unless you want to be.” 

“And what, are you my voice of reason?” Jason finally turned to look at the kid. At his brother. There was no halo and wings. No blindingly white robes. The kid was still bloody. His mask torn, face bruised, uniform shredded. There was still a gaping hole in his chest, Jason was staring at its exit wound on the boy’s back. And Jason didn’t quite know why he expected differently. “My Clarence? My Jacob Marley?” 

Damian glanced up at him, still with that speck of innocence that should have protected him. “I was just bored.”

“What, Heaven’s no fun?” 

Damian snorted, turning to look back down into the hospital room. “Who said I went there?” 

Despite it all, Jason grinned. “So what, this is Limbo, then?” 

“Mhm.” Damian hummed. “You can go back to your body, or you can remain here. It’s up to you. Neither God nor Satan have you on any sort of timetable. If they did, this conversation would be going _very_ differently.” 

“Of course.” Jason stared back down through the window, too. Watching as Tim and Kory fought to get Bruce and Dick away from the hospital bed, begging for them to eat and sleep and rest. “So…you were saying?” 

“I’m saying all that crap you spewed at the family was worthless.” Damian continued. “That you hated them, that you wanted to kill them. Your anger at Father. All of it. Pointless. You should probably let it go.” 

“Did you?” Jason asked. “You weren’t exactly the calmest kid on the planet.” 

“I forgave Drake for the perceived slights, if that’s what you’re implying.” Damian replied. “Why don’t you know all of this already? You were dead once before.” 

“I didn’t have anyone to chat with before.” Jason reminded. “Not that you’re much better company.” 

“Hilarious.” Damian deadpanned. He frowned, though, leaned forward on their strange little cloud as Dick pushed Kory away, screamed loud enough to be heard through the window. The two of them watched in silence, before Damian sighed. “You’re hurting Grayson the most, you know.”

“Ahh, and there’s your motive.” Jason drawled. “Still can’t stand your favorite big brother being all upset, huh?” 

“ _Not_ my motive.” Damian snapped, staring up at Jason, the frown set deeper on his cheeks. “He loves you.” 

“I know.” 

“He’s _in love_ with you.” 

A sigh. “…I know.” 

“And do you love him?” Damian asked. Jason didn’t answer, so Damian did what he was best at – he pushed. “Do you _care_ about him at all?” 

“Oh, why the hell should I tell you? You’re dead.” 

“And if you don’t make a decision one way or the other, you will be too.” Damian continued, and Jason could hear anger in his voice. “And then where will you be? You’ll be dead and bitter and alone. _Again_.” 

Jason bit his tongue.  

“And don’t tell me you’re still angry at Father. It’s such a farce, everyone can see through it.” It seemed Damian was on a roll now, and Jason wasn’t going to stop him. He should – with a fist to that smart mouth – but he wouldn’t. “You’re just putting on an act. Poor, little Todd. The street rat who wants nothing more than a loving family, meanwhile ignoring the one right in front of him.” 

“Kid, I think you need to shut the hell u-” 

“I think you need to get your ass back down there and tell the family you forgive them.” Damian cut off, rolling up onto his knees. “I think you need to get your head out of your ass and take the second chance being offered to you.” 

“I already got a second chance, I-” 

“Yeah, and you _wasted_ it.” Damian huffed, the annoyance leaving his words. “So go on, take this second chance at a second chance.” 

Jason glanced back down, watched as Bruce took the sobbing Dick into his arms. 

“I know you want to.” Damian continued. “I know you remember being dead. And you remember how much it sucks. I know you don’t want to do it again, at least not yet.” 

Jason found himself slowly nodding, because, yeah. The kid was right.  

“…Can you come back with me?” 

There was a pause between them, and Jason felt Damian’s hope. He also felt Damian’s despair, because they both knew the answer. 

“No.” Damian said finally. “And even if I could. I…I found my grandparents. Martha and Thomas, and I…I enjoy spending time with them.” 

“Oh.” 

“So.” Damian said definitively. “Tell them…” He gulped, Jason could practically hear the lump in the child’s throat. “Tell Father and Grayson that I’m sorry. That I miss them.” Damian folded his hands in lap, bowed his head. “That I love them.” 

“Okay.” Jason agreed. He looked over one last time, reached out and ruffled Damian’s hair. “Thanks for your help, brat.” 

Damian smirked, but it was weak, and a little sad.  

“You weren’t going to let me stay dead, even if I wanted to, were you?” Jason asked with a laugh. That brought a real smile to Damian’s face. 

“Of course not.” Damian admitted. “…Goodbye, Todd.” 

“Later, gator.” Jason returned. He hesitated, glanced back to the hospital room, then asked. “So…how do I…?” 

“Simple.” Damian murmured, and suddenly there were two hands on Jason’s arm, pushing him to the side and off the cloud. 

~~ 

When Jason opened his eyes, he didn’t know what time it was. Suddenly, the room was orange, and it was sunset. Or maybe sunrise. Regardless, nowhere near when he had been talking to Damian. 

“Jay?” 

A hand slid carefully into his, and he didn’t even have enough energy to be surprised. He just slowly turned his head, got a face full of Dick Grayson, and smiled groggily. 

“Howdy, gorgeous.” 

Dick melted immediately, squeezing Jason’s hand and burying his face in his neck, leaving kisses and tear drops in his wake.  

“Son.” 

Jason turned the other way. Unlike Dick, Bruce had kept a little distance, was still sitting in his rickety old chair. Tim and Barbara were next to him, both of them clearly holding their breath. 

“I saw him.” Jason slurred with a lopsided grin. Bruce blinked. “I saw Damian. He says hello to everyone.” 

No one said anything. Dick’s breath hitched.  

“He almost beat me up over you, gorgeous.” Jason hummed, planting a kiss against Dick’s temple. He turned his wrist, twining his and Dick’s fingers together. “It was crazy.” 

Roy, Kory and Cass were at the end of the bed, and just barely, Jason could see them all glance silently at each other. He tried to spin his head back to Bruce, but it fell to his shoulder, the drugs in his system still too strong. Slowly, painfully, he shifted his hand to the side, flopped it towards Bruce. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as Bruce clasped his fingers. “I’m sorry, old man.”

“For wha-”

“Everything.” And Jason felt tears stinging in his eyes. Slowly, Dick emerged from Jason’s side, slowly wrapped him in his arms and held him to his chest, but Jason kept his bleary eyes on Bruce. “For everything, I just. Bruce. I just want to start over. With everything. With everyone.”  

Jason didn’t know if anything he was saying was making sense. His mind was too hazy, and he could feel sleep coming to reclaim him quickly. There were gentle fingers running through his hair, Dick’s no doubt, and when he blinked, he suddenly saw Bruce smiling. 

“Of course, Jason.” Bruce whispered. “As soon as you’re out of the hospital.” 

“Good.” Jason sighed, leaning into Dick’s embrace, letting the blackness of sleep take over once more. “Now, tell Damian to get the hell off my back about it.” 

And somewhere in the darkness, he heard that little twerp laugh.


End file.
